Look before you peek
by TheResultOfMyBoredom
Summary: When Yandere-chan discovers a secret nobody else knows about Senpai, she realises that it could hold the key to eliminating all her rivals once and for all. But is she willing to break Senpai's trust to do it? With tensions rising in the school and within Yandere's own family, that choice may not be hers to make. Ah, the woes of a stalker...
1. Monday, Part 1

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Yandere Simulator, nor will I ever own it.**

 **Warning: As my username implies, I was bored when I wrote this. Stories written by bored people can be weird as hell, as was probably the case with this. Also, the chapter contains a scene in the school shower room. If that warning didn't scare you off, then welcome to the story. Hope you enjoy. Feedback is loved.**

* * *

It had been one day in the spring, when the future always seemed brightest.

How beautiful that day had been; the Sakura trees had blossomed pink in their perfection, songbirds were harmonizing in welcome of the coming year, and the red sun was just beginning to peek out across the horizon on its climb through the sky to the heavens above.

To any schoolgirl, it was the perfect time for a love confession.

To a yandere schoolgirl, it was much the same. Just with some other things as well. Things that may or may not involve blood, slaughter, and bouts of histrionic laughter.

Such were the thoughts of Ayano Aishi that morning, as she carefully slipped her katana into her locker for her to retrieve later. If anyone asked about it, she decided, she would tell them it was a prop for the Drama Club she had agreed to look after. Despite never showing an interest in the club. Because she was helpful like that. Yeah. Did that sound too shifty? Probably.

Oh, well. No matter. If anyone crossed her over it, she could cross them right back. With her blade. Along the throat. She imagined it would be a tad trickier for others to snitch on her to teachers without vocal chords.

Mess with the bull, you get the horns, after all.

But no murders right away. They were for later. Ayano was now an experienced player in the murder game, and she knew it well enough now to know that she would get nowhere if she just went senselessly stabbing anything in a skirt within a five metre radius of Senpai. No, even if it _was_ extremely tempting, it would also be extremely foolish. No, she could not do that. No, to succeed in her task, she had to start small, and work her way up slowly.

Today was the same. Nothing too gory just yet. She would start small, then build upon it, only giving her murderous talents free reign later on. Besides, even she could appreciate a fine day when she saw one; no need to go ruining it before it begun.

Given her generously mild mood and careful strategy, Ayano (for a change) did not immediately snatch up a weapon upon sighting her beloved Senpai with that girl. Osana Najimi. Cutesy-pie-tsundere-not-long-for-this-world Osana Najimi.

Instead, she simply headed for the nearest sink.

Ayano's fingers wrenched at the tap like claws. The water came out in a steady stream, filling the bucket to the brim in under a minute. Gripping the edges in her hands, she carefully crept to the edge of the rooftop, eyes scanning the view that spanned out before her.

Ah, there they were. Senpai and lovey-dovey-oh-why-must-she-be-so-damn-pretty Osana Najimi.

Timing was everything though, Ayano's rational side pointed out to her. If she was going to rudely interrupt their conversation by dumping the contents of a wash bucket on them, she could at least wait for a good moment. She leaned further over. Strained her ears.

Not-fair-how-come-she-gets-to-be-with-Senpai Osana was speaking. Or rather, shouting. "You're always late like this!" she complained. "No matter what I do, you never show up on time! I've been wondering where you were this whole time!" Her cheeks pinked suddenly. "D-don't get the wrong idea; I wasn't worried about you or anything!" Then, under her breath, "… baka."

Senpai sighed good-naturedly. "I think you're the only one who's ever called someone late when they show up for school as early as this," he pointed out. "What is it, 7:15? Way too early."

"Yeah, well, maybe I had something important to say to you!"

"Oh? Do tell."

She fell silent. The rosy blush on her cheeks darkened. Became crimson red. "Well, that is…" She fumbled over her words. "The truth is…"

Aha! About to make a love confession, were you, ha-ha-in-your-face-I've-got-you-now Osana? Ayano smirked. Time to put a stop to that. With a deft, fluid movement, she flung the water over the edge. Closing her eyes, Ayano gleefully waited to hear Osana's yelp as the water hit her.

"Argh!"

Wait. That was Senpai's voice.

The bucket fell from Ayano's hands. Her mind reeled. Could it be that she had hit the wrong person? Scrambling over to the edge, she looked down to have her fears realised. Senpai was soaked to the skin, like a tall drowned rat, standing there shivering as a puddle formed around him, lapping at his feet.

"… Did someone really just throw water on me?"

Bile congealed deep in Ayano's gut and rose- it flooded her being and crawled up her windpipe, forcing her heart out into her mouth. She fell to the ground weakly, limply. Clutched at her lips as if she wished she could tear them from her face. It had gone irredeemably wrong. She, Ayano Aishi, had drenched her precious Senpai. She had caused him inconvenience. She had upset him. Choking back an anguished howl, she curled into a foetal ball and began manically rocking to and fro across the floor.

"Why would someone do this?" Came Osana's voice from below. "Never mind. There's no way you can go to class looking like that. You need to go get washed up."

The world halted. Ayano blinked as her brain replayed those words. Senpai. Was going to wash up. Go to the boys' shower room. Which would involve. Him. Taking all his clothes off.

Suddenly, Ayano's day was looking up. _Could… could I get away with a sneaky peek?_

Well. _Well._ There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to try. Yes, it was perverted. Yes, it was an impulse- a thing she had taught herself to ignore to preserve her chances with him. Yes, it was completely and utterly stupid and not thought through at all.

But Ayano was tired of chasing Senpai with no success. Even if just once, she wanted this. She wanted to take a chance and damn the risks. Oh, she _wanted_ –

* * *

To see Senpai in the flesh. Literally, in the flesh.

It was a dream too wild and too wicked for her to have even contemplated. Had she entertained the idea yesterday, she would have dismissed it as impossible. And now, it was seriously about to happen.

A shudder seized her body. Ayano felt something kindling in her chest, and this time it was not bile. Something deeper, something primeval and wonderful and almost too intense for her to bear. She could hardly keep still. It was all she could do not begin erratically twitching, as she was prone to doing whenever swept up in strong emotion.

Then a sigh sounded, snapping her from her thoughts at once. Senpai.

He sounded... sad?

That could not be right. After all, Senpai was the singular most wonderful thing to have graced the planet. Nay, the entirety of the cosmos. So what was there for Senpai to be sad about? For the life of her, Ayano could not figure it out. She just did not know.

Then again, she did not really know anything about Senpai. Sure, she had been his stalker ever since the school year started, but not once had she unveiled any particularly intimate secrets. Somehow, the boy had remained to her a complete unknown. An enigma. A mystery that was just waiting to be investigated and solved. Because she wanted to unravel and talk to and discover him. She wanted to know him.

 _I can know him now._

It was that desperate longing that gave Ayano the final push she needed to look.

There he was, bathing himself in all his glory, though the lazy flumes of steam cloud shielded everything beneath the waist from view. Ayano did not care. Her breath was already stolen. He was so beautiful. More than she had ever imagined. His skin was incredibly soft-looking, and very lightly tanned, as if the sun itself had kissed it. Though his build was not sturdy or terribly strong in appearance (he was more lanky, really), she could see that there was some muscle in the right places. A gasp ripped from her throat. She could feel her soul igniting. Her nerves were aflame and she leaned closer still. Blood roared in her ears as her heart smashed against her ribcage like a hammer on an anvil. Burning with delight, she moved even closer.

Yet as her eyes strained to see more, she could not but notice something.

Swelling. A small yet bizarre lump of skin swelling that spanned across the top of Senpai's torso- not far from the heart- as he washed himself. Curious. Moreover, there was an identical mound on the other side. So strange it was, it made her jaw fall. But as she kept looking, it slowly started to make sense.

All fell into place. The beauty. The soft skin. The lack of muscle. The fact that until today, she had never known anything personal about Senpai.

Her gasp cracked into a cry.

Senpai whipped around, eyes flashing. "H-hey! Who's there!?"

Ayano could not reply. There was nothing she could think to do but run. Get away. Get out the room. Even the sound of Senpai's yells in her ears could not arrest her. She could not even hear them. She was aware of nothing; the school could have been destroyed that instant and she would not have noticed. Only one resounding, nonplussed thought remained in her head.

 _Senpai... is trans?!_


	2. Monday, Part 2

**Warning: this chapter contains nudity, sass, Senpai, and nude sassy Senpai. Oh yeah, and murder. You have been warned.**

 **Also, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed, or clicked favorite/follow. Initially, I didn't know if I'd write more, but you all encouraged and motivated me to continue. Thanks again.**

* * *

"Hey! Stop! Hold up!"

Ayano had always assumed that the first time Senpai spoke to her, it would be one of the most beautiful, wonderfully profound and serene moments of her life. Right up there with the day she first licked his toothbrush. Good times.

Instead it had not happened at all in the way she had expected.

Senpai was now the one chasing her. And she was the one fleeing. Her emotions were spiralling like the eye of a tornado within her gut, and she could only respond as her instinct dictated. Run. Run and hide and hope to come to her senses so she could think. But with her recent discovery, that seemed impossible. It did not help that she could hear the pained rustling of material against skin behind her, telling her that Senpai was trying to cover himself as he charged after her. He was still nude, then. Damn. Thinking rationally was difficult when au naturel transvestite Senpai was filling her brain.

"Come back!"

Both students were now at top speed. Or as close as they could get without risking a fall on the watery, soap-slicked tiles. As she stumbled up to the door and rattled the handle, Ayano's stomach knotted in confusion and alarm. _Quickly! Open!_ If Senpai caught her… No. He would see who she really was. A monster. She could never allow that. Had to keep running. Escape.

There was no way-

His hand latched onto Ayano's wrist. A hand she could have smacked away like a fly had it belonged to anyone else. But no. This was her Senpai. Senpai, her upperclassman who she had just seen naked. Senpai, who had chased after her and was now touching her for the very first time. Senpai, her obsession.

All thoughts of running died.

Her stomach knotted again as she was pulled back, but this time it was not because of fear.

Dimly aware of a cold smack against her spine, Ayano realized dazedly that she was being pushed back against the door, Senpai's arms entrapping her there. They were alone. Normal girls would have cried murder. But Ayano was not normal, and she was loving every second of this. Unable to stifle a smile blossoming across her lips, she bowed her head and hid her face, stopping Senpai from noticing her goofy grin. It wouldn't do for him to realize she was insane as well as perverted.

"Okay." When Senpai's voice came, it was labored. Icy with vehemence. From a person normally so amiable, it was startling. "I don't know who you are, or what you're doing in the boys' room. All I want to know is, did you see anything?"

Ayano inhaled deeply. Tried to formulate a reply. A strange calmness enveloped her, and she looked him in the eye. "I saw enough."

As she revealed her face, Senpai almost doubled back. "You?!" he asked incredulously.

"You know me?" Her heart bounced.

For a moment he just stared, before looking away with a frown. "Not really. I… think I've seen you around before. Almost like you're following me…" he trailed off and looked blankly at her. "Please tell me that's not why you were in here."

Silence followed his words.

When Ayano finally replied, it was in a whisper. "My apologies. I'd no idea that… that you're a…"

"A trans dude?" finished Senpai acidly. He brought a hand to his chest and cupped one of the globes. "These your first clue, Holmes?"

Ayano's reply was somewhere between a hum of affirmation and a squee. Along with a violent nosebleed. Senpai's brow twitched as blood splattered his collarbone in an ugly crimson necklace.

Trying with everything she had to resist the urge to produce a tissue and promptly wipe up the damage, Ayano forced down a twitching fit and regained her calm. "Y-you won't have any trouble from me like this again, Senpai," she promised. "And I swear I'll keep all this a secret. If you want me to."

"I need you to," corrected Senpai. "Look, long story short, I'm still in the closet. Nobody in the whole school knows about this. And I want it to stay that way until I'm ready. Understand?" As he spoke, though it was just for a moment and veiled with bravado, a flicker of fear in his eyes betrayed his uncertainty.

"Okay. Okay. Got it," replied Ayano smoothly. "Then, I won't breathe a word, Senpai. I pro-…"

The faint peeling of the school bell cut her off. They were late for class. The moment was gone. Taking one last glance at her, Senpai rushed to get changed.

* * *

"Please, try to make it to class on time. Take your seat."

Nodding dumbly, Ayano muttered a brief apology to Fuka-sensei before sliding docilely into her chair. The wood groaned against the floor as she pulled it up to her desk. That cooling calmness she had experienced when faced with Senpai had deserted her. Left her to be gripped once again by her own inner instability.

She hunched forward in her seat and pressed down on the surface. Grinding her teeth together tightly as she clenched her jaw, she once again had to stop herself twitching. Already, there were disapproving eyes trained on her. A display of insanity would get her in trouble for sure. The thou-shalt-be-expelled-for-this kind of trouble. That really would ruin her chance with Senpai.

A textbook was placed upon her desk. Good. Their task today was silent reading. She had the opportunity to think.

So. Today had certainly thrown into light just how little she really knew about Senpai, in more ways than one. Even though she had been his archly devoted stalker ever since her second year of high school, stealing glances and collecting information when she could, she had never come to know anything truly deep about him. Never spoken to him. Never touched him. Insecurity and caution had always held her back. Then when she'd thrown that caution to the wind, she'd done all three things at once.

Ayano smiled to herself. Thinking like this helped to curb the turbulence of her feelings. Evidently, her attraction to Senpai was very much unshaken by what had happened today; if anything, it had probably been somehow enhanced, and not just because she had seen him in all his naked glory (though that'd been a definite perk). There was something else- aside from the feral obsession- something else that she was starting to feel about him now- perhaps because she knew she'd seen a side of Senpai nobody else had.

It was official. She was still crushing hard on him. Though other girls in her situation might not have-...

Other girls!

Having attended Akademi for a long time now, Ayano had had many opportunities to observe all the students around her. From discreet observation and careful analysis of (read: stalking) her schoolmates, she had come to the unsurprising conclusion that there was nobody else like her. No other yandere students in the school. Granted, Info-chan was rather on the twisted side, but that was it.

That was enough to confirm to Ayano what she had always thought to be true; no one else felt the same way as she about Senpai. Her rivals wanted him, but not in the same way she wanted him. They did not deserve him. After all, they could never be as ever-lastingly dedicated to him as she'd already proved herself to be. Had any of them the tenacity necessary to break into his home and steal his toiletries? She had. Twice. Beat that.

More importantly though, her rivals still posed a problem, if the hushed gossiping of Koharu Hinata and Mina Rai a couple of seats away was anything to go by.

Talking about Senpai, are you? The nerve-!

Deep breaths. In, and out. Better. It was a problem, yes, but every problem has a solution. And she'd found one that could potentially end all her problems.

Not everyone in school would be willing to date a transgender person. Since none of Ayano's rivals came close to being as devoted as her, she was willing to bet that that would apply to a great many of the students. If Senpai's secret were to be made common knowledge... just how many girls would never flirt with Senpai again? How many rivals could she remove permanently without bloodshed? How much worrying would she be spared?

The answer to those questions was clear. A lot.

Except that last one; letting the secret leak out would cause an even greater problem in itself.

Senpai, the one person in the world Ayano would do anything for, had pleaded with her not to tell anyone. Setting aside the inevitable crash of guilt she'd feel if she disregarded his wishes, the fact was that if she betrayed him, then in all likelihood, he'd never forgive her. And that would break her heart.

But with rivals threatening their love and the opportunity she'd been waiting for... what was a yandere to do?

In the end, she decided, it was best to say nothing- for now. If it became absolutely necessary to ensure a rival's elimination, she could always do it as a last resort. Keep it as an ace in her hand. But she'd play her kings and queens first; try to remove her rivals the way she always had. That way, there'd be no need to break Senpai's trust in the first place. That thought in mind, Ayano glanced once more at Koharu before reaching for the textbook labelled "Chemistry".

* * *

During lunchtime, Koharu's body was found sprawled out across the rooftop, face frozen in a horrified gasp for air. A few feet away from her was a half-eaten bento. The paramedics were called immediately, but they could not revive her.

Nobody noticed that a certain deadly chemical had gone missing from the Science Lab at around that time.

* * *

Ayano arrived home tired and dazed.

No games or manga tonight. The events of the day had taken their toll on her.

Heading up to her room, she immediately flopped down across her bed and snatched up her phone. Checked for messages. There was only one, and it was from her mother.

 ** _US trip might take longer than we thought. We'll be about ten weeks; it won't take me longer than that. Until then, sweetheart. Love you._**

Too tired to dwell on it, Ayano put the phone away.

As she curled into the mattress, her mind drifted back to the person she always thought of at night. Though this time, her image of him was cast in shadow. Yes, one rival had been removed today, but there'd be others. They'd keep coming. One might be wily enough to escape her knife. Biting her lip, Ayano hoped that would never happen. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Senpai, but if revealing his secret was the only way...

 _Please forgive me if I can't do as you ask, Senpai..._


	3. Tuesday, Part 1

**According to my research, Japanese schools traditionally hold their sports days during the weekend. If anybody knows more about the subject than I and spots any inaccuracies, please don't hesitate to point it out to me so that I can correct it.**

 **On another note, a big thanks to each and every one of you who clicked review/favorite/follow; it honestly does mean so much.**

* * *

Sleep must have taken Ayano last night, because she was jerked out of it and into the waking world by her phone; it was vibrating furiously to herald the arrival of another text message. What time was it? 6:10 already? Caressing the dip of skin beneath her eyelids where bags had begun forming, Ayano snatched up the phone.

Instantly, she was on guard. The text was from Info-chan.

 ** _It's been a while since I last heard from you. Don't fall behind on the panty shots you owe. I said I'd help you, but not without condition._**

Wow. Good morning to you, too. Not so much as an apology for the rude awakening. Ayano scowled bitterly as she swung her legs around and hauled herself up from her bed. Info-chan was not a person she wished to speak to at that moment. On the other hand, she knew the meaning of the maxim not to bite the hand that feeds you. And Info-chan was certainly her biggest- if not only- feeder.

Her thumbs flashed across the keys as she texted back.

 _I've had other things on my mind lately._

The reply was almost immediate.

 ** _"Other things"? More important than your precious senpai? Losing interest in him already? Never thought I'd see the day._**

Anger swelled in Ayano's throat and lodged itself there- she downed it along with a glass of water as she made her way into the kitchen. Stuffed a soft, fluffy white bread slice into the narrow mouth of the toaster and flipped the dial. Breakfast was on its way, at least. Returning to her phone, she quickly typed a response, brow knotting in ire.

 _Don't talk about him like that._

 ** _Touchy, aren't we?_**

 _You have no idea. Might help if you don't piss me off._

It was with difficulty that Ayano bit back a smirk after sending that one. She relaxed against the counter, more invested in their discussion now.

 ** _I'll bear that in mind. Seriously though, did something happen? I'm becoming concerned for our partnership. If you really are no longer interested in your senpai, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know so I can find myself another client._**

Another client? Ayano wondered what that person would be made to deliver: panty shots, or harm to Osana? Either way, she could not deny feeling a stab of hostility, umbrage and something like hurt to know Info-chan thought her so readily dispensable.

The bread sprang from the toaster.

As Ayano ate, she messaged back, relaying in her head her thoughts of Senpai yesterday as she typed her reply.

 _I doubt you'd be able to find another willing "client". Luckily, you won't have to. I've loved my Senpai since day one, and that isn't changing any time soon. I still want your help winning his love._

Tucking it away, Ayano finished getting ready. There was not much time left if she wanted to get to school early. Which she'd have to do if Operation Mass Rival Extermination was to succeed. (Okay, the name needed work, but there'd be time for that when she had Senpai's love). Scrambling like a wild beast through the front door, she charged along the path and down the road to school. Blind to her surroundings.

Only when she had long since left her house behind did Info-chan's reply come through.

 _ **Make good on your side of the bargain then. I want those panty shots.**_

* * *

When Ayano strode through the school gates, she headed at once towards the fountain, where the usual cluster of girls had formed. They always liked to gather there for early morning gossip and Ayano wished to be privy to as much of it as possible. Mostly to see who else had a crush on Senpai.

One particular girl doubtlessly did: Kokona Haruka.

Kokona-I-swear-her-bust-size-rivals-planet-Jupiter-Haruka.

Said girl turned and, upon noticing Ayano, greeted her with a beaming smile. "Morning, Aya-chan!" she chirped. "Just the person I wanted to see!"

Surprise robbed Ayano of the ability to reply.

Mei tapped her on the shoulder, reviving her sensibility. "You have good grades in P.E., right?" she asked.

... Well, that wasn't random at all.

It was true that she had prioritized that area of her studies above the rest, though that was more out of desire to improve the speed and strength with which she slaughtered rivals than any love for the subject. Her work had paid off, though. Now she could run as fast as any of the boys even while weighed down with a bleeding body! Score!

"I'm alright," she conceded modestly.

"Great! Then, would you mind running the marathon for sports day this Saturday?"

Sports day. Ayano had forgotten all about it. Then again, having made the monumental milestone of talking to Senpai just yesterday ( _"Be still, my heart!"_ ) everything else had seemed insignificant. "You don't have someone else?"

Yuna bit her lip. "W-well, Koharu was going to, but then... yesterday..." It was all she needed to say.

That made sense, Ayano supposed. Even though she had quit the Martial Arts club weeks before her death, Koharu had always been more than capable of defending herself- along with anyone else she saw being harmed. With that strength, she'd have been the logical choice for a sports competitor. Oh, well. One less wannabe hero to worry about if ever a rival needed to be removed in broad daylight. Knowing that felt awesome! It took such a weight off-!

Why was she being stared at? ... Right. She was supposed to be sad.

"Shame," she offered eventually.

The conversation thankfully moved on from there; death was not a subject the girls wished to dwell on. Eventually, Kokona spoke up. "So, we were wondering if you could run in her place." She hovered agitatedly like a dove, awaiting a response. "Please, Ayano? It would help me a lot!"

Ayano was unconcerned with what would help Kokona a lot. One thing she cared deeply for, however, was reputation.

If her schoolmates viewed her positively, then not only could she manipulate them, but none of them would ever suspect her true nature. She'd be like one of them. Normal. That recognition of her as the normal girl she was not would hopefully reflect on Senpai's opinion of her; surprising him the way she did yesterday wasn't the best first impression. Being of good repute would help her ease the tension.

And accepting Kokona's request would, she knew, give her reputation the boost it needed. She'd no longer even need to compliment people to do it, an activity she frankly found tedious.

And so Ayano said she'd be glad to help.

What happened next was a blur. A delighted squeal rang like knives in Ayano's ears. She winced. Felt arms around her. Softness at her chest. It took her a moment to process what was happening.

Kokona was hugging her. "Thank you!" She whispered, breath hot with gratitude. "You're the best." Ayano felt her mind numbing. That hug must have been so tight that it had stopped her breath, because she remembered feeling acutely aware of a stiffness in her throat.

Her discomfort must have been apparent, for Kokona hastily withdrew. "A-ah, sorry..."

Kuu Dere, who had until this moment been reticent as usual, was now looking intently at the other girl. "You really care about this sports day..." she remarked tonelessly. "It's nice."

"Err, thanks? And of course! After all, I was captain of the Sports Club before I had to join the Cooking Club."

"Had to?" Ayano heard herself repeat.

The rosiness in Kokona's cheeks drained. "Oh, um. No. Sorry. Err, what I meant was..." Her tongue seemed to start involuntarily flapping, but with no further sound coming from her lips.

Her best friend Saki Miyu came to her rescue. "Please excuse us," was all she said as she pulled Kokona away from the circle of girls. Sensing the atmosphere change, the rest swiftly followed suit and left, muttering awkwardly that they had somewhere other to go. Ayano was left alone until class time. As usual.

* * *

First lesson came and went.

Slipping out from the classroom like a black street cat through an alley, she near slumped against the wall in fatigue. So many rivals to eliminate, not enough time to do it in. It was so exhausting. The alternative- to expose Senpai- was becoming enticing, but she forced herself not to entertain the idea. Yet.

Class- and her dilemma- had taken a toll on her today. All her muscles, including her brain, seemed to have had the energy sapped from them. Void. That kind of thinking was not helpful when she needed now more than ever to remove her rivals. Remove the temptation to reveal Senpai's secret along with them.

It was now lunchtime. While all the other students banded into hordes and scurried eagerly up the stairwells to eat on the rooftop, Ayano made her way down. Down to that remote corner of the school. Where the vending machine was. She'd forgotten to prepare a bento for herself today; she would need something to keep her going. An energy drink, she'd decided, would suffice.

She stabbed the button with her finger, and the can was dispensed with a series of dull metallic clunks. Bending down, she plucked it from the machine.

The drink was cold; it began as a cool, clammy sensation in the soft skin of her palm, but then it intensified, becoming so icy it burned her. Unsnapping the cap, she brought it to her lips and drank. Tried to take her mind off things. Tried to think about-

"Could I spare a moment?"

… Senpai!

The liquid erupted in her nostrils. Violent coughs seized her sides as she gasped for air - _was this how Koharu felt when she poisoned her?_ \- until the shock faded. Only her pride was hurt. Shamefacedly, her eyes looked around to meet those of his. "I- I didn't see you there," she greeted lamely.

Senpai's brow arched. "I'd noticed. Are you alright?"

Ayano nodded, swallowing a hiccup. It rose up again along with a surge of bubbling excitement. This was the second time in a row Senpai had noticed her! Score again!

Then she became aware of the silence hanging heavily in the air between them. Senpai's eyes were distant. Half-lidded. As if considering his next words.

"Is this about yesterday?" she tentatively prompted.

"Yes." He blinked. "Not exactly the best of introductions. Then again, I don't usually get introduced to my stalkers." A wry smirk twitched across his lips. "Are you actually? A stalker, I mean."

It was a serious question, and yet Ayano sensed he was using it in attempt to alleviate the tension. "You weren't lying when you said you'd seen me following you before, huh?" she joked weakly, trying to follow suit.

"After a while it does freak you out," he admitted.

She could feel her face heating. "I get the picture. From now on, I'll try to not harass you." _Much._

"How good of you." It was said in jest, but his voice was sarcastic enough to be cutting. "Joking aside though, I want to be able to trust you. Yesterday was awkward for both of us, so I figured we should just forget the whole thing and start over."

Feeling sick with remorse for considering betraying him, Ayano began nodding profusely.

Stooping into a brief bow, he greeted her. "Nice to meet you."

"And you," she responded eagerly. Oh, happy day! Not only did he actually know she existed, he was about to know her name as well! "I'm Ayano Aishi."

"Taro Yamada." He smiled then. "And I-"

A voice rang sharply out behind them. "There you are!" Senpai's words died on his lips as he turned away. Ayano followed his gaze and saw the intruder at once. Osana. None other than pigtails-flying-like-tacky-ribbons-everywhere Osana. Ayano's hands fisted. That sick feeling was back, and this time it wasn't because of remorse.

"I was looking for you everywhere!" the other girl gasped. "I have to talk to you."

 _Too bad. He's talking to me. Back off._

"No need to get worked up about it," replied Senpai. "I'm right here. Talk."

 _Hell. No!_

It took every iota of self-restraint she had to not to smash her drink can into Osana's skull and dash her brains out- assuming she had any brains to speak of, that is. To have the _gall_ to talk to Senpai... right in front of her... she doubted it. She just hoped for her sake this wasn't another attempt at a confession.

Osana looked briefly at Ayano and back to Senpai. "Not here. I think we should talk somewhere a bit more... private."

That deliberately guileless smile never left Senpai's mouth, and it was impossible to know whether he'd picked up on the apparent gravity of the situation. "It's really that important?"

"It really is," she insisted. "I need to tell you-... kya!"

They turned to look at Ayano, who seemed to be coughing furiously. Her fingers had clenched so tightly around her can, it'd near snapped in two. The liquid had exploded from it, fountaining forward and soaking Osana's uniform. As the other girl stood frozen, drenched and dismayed, Ayano's shoulders ceased heaving and she recovered herself. "My mistake," she deadpanned.

Osana's face was red with wrath, but she had never before spoken to Ayano, and there was nothing she could say to her. Instead, she took out her ire on Senpai. "I've got to clean up," she muttered angrily. "You'd better wait for me, baka." With that, she left.

"Are you okay?" Senpai tried calling after her, but to no avail. Sighing, he bid a quick "excuse me" to Ayano, and walked away. She watched him leave her. Again.

Still, she was prepared to look at this glass as half full. Though Osana had ruined it, she and Senpai had shared- dare she say it- a _moment_. Which wasn't much; moments were brief, and all too fleeting. But it was something.

 _My faith in our love has been renewed, Senpai. But before I'm certain, Osana and those other girls must go._


	4. Tuesday, Part 2

**As you may know, just over a week ago was the second birthday of Yandere Simulator. *throws confetti* Here is an overdue update to celebrate. I really enjoy this game, and look forward to seeing where it goes- though due to the fact it is being constantly updated while I write this, it may be that this story becomes contradictory to the game's canon. Actually, it really already has... But if you've read this far, I'll assume that you don't mind.**

 **Thanks once again to everyone who followed/favorited. Special thanks to my reviewers. It makes me so happy to know someone is enjoying this.**

 **Warning: Chapter contains some very dark implications, murder and serious themes... Also, the fourth wall was destroyed, courtesy of Midori Gurin.**

* * *

In the end, Ayano was able to get something to eat.

As it turned out, Kokona had a few octopus hotdogs left over from yesterday's meeting at the Cooking Club; Koharu hadn't been able to turn up and have her share. Being murdered can be so inconvenient that way.

Upon discovering that Ayano had no bento, the other girl had swooped on her and insisted she take the snacks, so that she did not have to go the day starving. ("It's the least I can do for you, Aya-chan, after you agreed to help me!")

It was admittedly generous, and Ayano accepted. Making sure to cast a surly glare in Kokona's wake as she left.

 _Damn you, Kokona, for treating me so kindly. You're making it hard for me to eliminate you._

On the upside, apparently killing off the Cooking Club members could equal free food. She'd have to remember that. Then again, her parents had left her plenty while they were off on their trip to America. Would they be back when they said they would? Her mother had texted her frequently, including that message last night, but she had always been so vague when it came to disclosing any details. _When do you plan on telling Dad and I the truth about why you went, Mother?_

Her teeth tore through an octopus leg.

Back to the Kokona problem. Perhaps she was overthinking it- the girl's death couldn't actually be all that important. Nowhere near as important as swiping Senpai's used handkerchiefs, anyway. Still. more than one way to skin a cat, right? She could always remove Kokona as a threat for Senpai some other way. Maybe she could set her up with someone else? The girl wasn't exactly short of suitors. Not with those breasts. If only she knew some dark secret of hers, the problem could be solved!

… There was always Senpai's secret, but Kokona might not be able to keep that to herself.

Ayano polished off the last traces of the hotdogs. Supposing that she at least ought to thank Kokona, she grudgingly made her way to the stairwell, and headed to the rooftop. Almost the whole school was up there. No surprise, really; the sun had climbed even higher up in the sky, and many students wanted to take advantage of the warm weather.

Upon spotting Kokona, Ayano slapped on a smile and approached. Only to stop at once. Saki Miyu was there, too. Kokona's best friend. They were speaking in delicate, hushed, nigh conspiratorial tones, both of them tense and Kokona apparently unable to look her companion in the eye.

 _Well_ now. Slipping behind the wall, Ayano did her best to feign convincing nonchalance while she keenly eavesdropped.

"You haven't been acting like your usual self lately," Saki was saying, her voice laced with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh… well… it's nothing…"

Had Kokona's cheerfulness been a façade earlier? Ayano had never been good at interpreting the feelings of others. Curiosity piqued, she strained to listen further.

"Just remember, I'm your friend, and I'd never judge you for anything."

At the encouraging words, Kokona looked up, the whites of her eyes rippling as tears sprung at her lashes. "I guess… there is one thing I want to talk about…"

"I'm listening," replied Saki.

A slow intake of breath. "Ever since my mum died, my dad's been drinking a lot. Sometimes, when he's drunk, he comes into my room… and…" Her voice cracked with a muted sob.

Whatever else she had to say, Ayano did not remain long enough to hear it. She had heard enough. And the math wasn't hard to do.

Looked like she had enough dirt on Kokona after all.

* * *

Bizarrely enough, that would not be the last juicy conversation that would happen to reach Ayano's ears that day.

The second time was after school had finished. Most students had quietly filtered away out through the entrance gate, some remaining for club meetings, detentions or cleaning duties. For Ayano, it was that last one. She was back on the rooftop, beneath a darkening sky. The sun was starting to sink, the last few rays of crimson light bleeding out through the clouds. As usual, she was alone, but directly beneath her were Pippi Osu and Midori Gurin from the Gaming Club. Even though they were far below at the mouth of the school building, she could hear every damn thing they were saying.

Midori had a voice that could deafen potatoes.

"I'm sorry, Pippi-senpai! I didn't have enough time to play the multiplayer with you! I was too busy sending stupid emails to YandereDev even though he made a twenty minute video saying not to!"

Shaking her head incredulously, Ayano tried to ignore them both and focused on her work. Nodding to herself in satisfaction as the water sloshed excitedly in the bucket. It would be a help to her, familiarising herself with all the cleaning tools in the school. If she ever had a bloodied body on her hands that needed a quick disposal, this was the best solution. Though hopefully she wouldn't have to go as far as murder for a while yet. No, that would be only if something drastic happened. Like if someone were to find out-

"Yamada-senpai is a chick?!"

Ayano was so shocked the bucket tumbled from her fingers. At the last moment she wrenched it back into her grip from the air, but too late; it had been already been emptied of its contents.

A splash sounded from below. "Kya!"

Crawling over to the bars, Ayano peered out and looked warily down at the two figures below. They had both been drenched. Pippi's colourful hair was plastered messily against her head, drops of water streaming from the tip of her nose.

Midori blinked. Once, twice. Taking in their unexpected situation. Dwelling on it very deeply. Then, "Did someone just throw water on us?"

 _… You don't say?_

"Why would someone do this?" moaned Pippi. "Wait. I remember Osana talking earlier about seeing similar thing happening. It's probably the same person…" With a sigh, she squeezed the hem of her skirt. "Never knew there were such weak pranksters at this school."

"Oh, there are all sorts of things you don't expect at this school," replied Midori solemnly. "Like how you don't expect the girls' toilets to be haunted. Or how annoyed people get on the website when you ask questions without checking the FAQ first-…" Suddenly she gripped Pippi by the shoulders.

"Or how we have a trans kid here! Tell more!"

"Calm down, Midori-chan!" Pippi shouted, trying to keep the laughter from her voice. "We both need to go and get washed up. I still think we have enough time to get in a decent state before we have to head home." A smirk played across her face. "And maybe I'll tell you more on the way."

"Ooh! Then what are we waiting for?"

"You, baka!" Giving free reign to her laughter now, Pippi hobbled to the girl's shower room, Midori waddling hurriedly after her with a stream of enthusiastic questions.

Neither of the girls thought to look over her shoulder. Neither noticed the figure following them, darker than a shadow. Nor did they see the silver flash of her weapon that cut through the encroaching night.

* * *

"How did you find out?"

Half-shrouded in steam as she massaged her hair, the rosy pink dye bleeding out to reveal the stark black underneath, Pippi looked over at Midori. "It went like this. Yesterday, I was with Ryuto, and-"

"You asked him out yet?"

Blushing madly, Pippi gave her a teasing shove. "You wanna hear this or not?" She laughed as Midori's pouted. "Anyway. I asked him if I could use his phone to call home, since mine was out of battery. He let me, but when I was ready to give it back, he'd gone home himself."

Midori let out a disapproving _tsk._ "Guess he forgot. Some people can be so careless, am I right?"

"Look who's talking," smirked Pippi. "Ryuto's just like that- he's too generous for his own good sometimes. I'll admit, he was being careless here, but not because he left his phone with me, but because of what was on it."

"You went through his phone?" gasped Midori, jokingly scandalised. "Couldn't resist, could you?"

"Hey, if it were your crush, you'd do the same!"

"Touché." Then Midori frowned. "But what does this have to do with Yamada-senpai?"

Pippi sobered up slightly. "I'm getting to that. Ryuto has this habit of accidentally leaving his phone on record. Because he sometimes forgets it and leaves it lying around places, occasionally you can find very… interesting conversations on there." She paused for effect, letting her words sink into Midori.

"In this case, the conversation involved Yamada-san's gender."

Midori's eyes bulged. "Whoa. Do you still have Ryuto-senpai's phone?"

"No. I deleted the recording anyhow. But I emailed it to myself first. Just listen to this." Drawing her phone, Pippi stroked her thumb across the screen, and the voices came on. It wasn't a long conversation, but it nonetheless revealed everything Pippi had promised it would and more.

Thunderstruck, Midori stepped back. "That happened yesterday in the boys' shower room?"

"Yep."

"No doubt about it, then… Yamada-senpai's a girl. Was born one, I mean. That aside, there's some girl stalking him? Who is she?"

"Not a clue," Pippi tucked her phone away. "But hey, remember I was talking about how Osana saw water being dumped on someone, like what happened to us? What if that was Yamada-san? They are good friends, after all. Would explain why he was in the shower room just before class started, if he had to sort out wet clothes."

"At least he _could_ sort it out!" Midori quipped with a huff. "I can't seem to. My uniform just isn't getting dry."

Pippi blinked. "You ought to change into something else so you don't catch a cold. Don't you have any spare clothes?"

"I forgot! My gym uniform! It's in my locker."

"Alright, you go change. I think I need to wash up anyway."

Beaming, Midori skipped away. She was swiftly swallowed up by the steam, as it wreathed around her body like funeral flowers.

Once she left, Pippi let the fluffy white towel fall from her shoulders to the ground. Wading into the hot tub water, she relaxed into it with a languid sigh, grateful for it after that hard-hitting splash of cold water thrown on her. Her muscles loosened, and she smiled peacefully.

The lights in the back room went out.

"Midori, is everything okay in there?"

No reply.

Frowning, Pippi rose from the tub, clawing at the towel as she tried to cover herself. "Midori? You still there?"

A few crashing sounds answered her. Followed by the rapid clicking of shoes against tile. The door was flung open, but it wasn't Midori standing there. It was another girl. Black hair. Blacker eyes. Seemed to be a second year student.

"Aishi-san?" guessed Pippi warily.

"Osu-senpai," growled the girl in response. "You need to see this."

Too stunned to question it, Pippi followed the girl, feeling worry settling in her stomach as she stepped through the door. What was this about? "It's too dark to see…"

A grunt from Aishi-san. "Don't you have a phone on you? You can use the torch on that, right?"

"O-oh, yeah…" Retrieving the phone from her bag, Pippi switched on the light.

The beam fell on Midori's corpse.

The scream that came from Pippi sounded like it had been ripped from her very soul. Tearing from her like lightning from the heavens. Her phone fell from her hand. Throwing herself on her knees, she cupped her friend's face in her hands. "Midori! Midori! Oh, god, please wake up! Midori!"

No movement. No life.

Aishi-san stooped to pick up the phone she'd dropped. Never taking her eyes off Pippi. "She's gone."

"No way…" Letting Midori go, Pippi buried her head in her hands. Tears began flowing. "How…?"

"I'm sorry," murmured Aishi-san behind her. Her voice somehow sounded somehow deader than Midori. "She may've been trying to turn the lights back on. But she was soaking wet, and trying to handle electrics… well. It's easily done, you know."

Stifling another sob, Pippi made herself consider this. "She's acted kind of spacey like that before… it wouldn't be unusual for her…" Her brow furrowed. As she thought more, she began chewing her lip.

"But… no. That can't be what happened. All of us in the Gaming Club were given the lecture on health and safety where electronic devices are concerned. We had it hammered into us. Even Midori would remember basic rules. Besides, just trying to turn lights on shouldn't result in… this."

Aishi-san was silent.

"…Not unless there was something wrong with the switch." Pippi's eyes glimmered like two green disks as the idea occurred to her. "She wouldn't have been able to have seen that, right? Since like you said, it was dark and the lights had gone out. But then, the only way the switch could've gotten like that is with…"

A screwdriver.

There it was, in Aishi-san's hand, gleaming wickedly at her in the mirror's reflection. Aishi-san. She would have been with Midori at the very same moment she had… Oh, _god_ -!

Pippi whirled around. "Did you-?!"

Her question was never finished, but it was answered anyway when the blade rammed through her skull.

* * *

As the faculty shooed away any remaining students on school grounds, they found the corpse of Midori Gurin. The police were called at once, in spite of the late hour. They concluded that it had been an accident, the cause of death as having been electrocution. Another girl, Pippi Osu, hadn't been accounted for. Both the police and teachers searched, but failed to find her. There was nobody else on school grounds. Just the dark flume of smoke from the incinerator as it silently burned away.

Ayano had gone home, clenching the incriminating phone in her hand. No one else could be allowed to hear that conversation. She'd have to confront Ryuto tomorrow. Along with anyone else her victim might have blabbed to. In hindsight, she should have asked Pippi about that before killing her. How many people _had_ she told? It could have been no one, it could have been everyone. The girl herself had never been much of a gossip except to her friends, but who might they have parroted it to? What if Senpai's secret became common knowledge overnight?

… What if he blamed her for it?

 _Please, Senpai. I didn't. Don't get angry at me. Don't end what I've finally had the chance to start building up with you._


	5. Wednesday, Part 1

**I'd honestly hoped I'd be able to get this chapter out sooner, and I apologise for having not done that. It took a while to get it fit for human eyes, and even now it is more of a filler chapter. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it. I also want to say a really massive thank you to all of you who took the time to comment on the story; the reviews I got were all very kind and reading them seriously warmed my heart. :) On another note, it seems Yandere Simulator has it's own fanfiction site now, so sometime in the future I'll be taking the story down on this site and putting it there instead.**

 **Warning: This chapter contains bad puns. Also there is infrequent use of language- but I swear it doesn't happen much.**

* * *

It was all over the school newspaper that morning.

Following Midori's accident and Pippi's mysterious disappearance, the Gaming Club had been disbanded. Without their two friends there, neither Ryuto nor Mai Waifu had the heart to continue with club activities anyway. There were to be no more games.

 _No more playing around for me, either._ Ayano promised herself that as she slouched against the school gates. Hands fisting. Crinkling the pages of the newspaper.

Normally, the Gaming Club's closure would've caused mild uproar at the very least. Though with two students dead and another missing in two days, it was the least of most peoples' concerns in the school. Something had changed about Akademi overnight. Where the sun had once shone, a beautiful, red, ever-climbing constant, a murky grey mist was now starting to brew. Clouds hung like corpses above the trees and shrouded any rays of sunlight trying to leak through, diluting the warm crimson. As if the heavens themselves were trying to wash the world of blood.

Ayano had washed her own hands three times that morning, yet she could've sworn they were still stained red.

When she found Ryuto, he was quietly fidgeting outside Genka Kunahito's office, rather desperately hugging a couple of textbooks. His eyes were fixed on the door, yet oddly distant at the same time, and his face was as pale as the pallid moon. Ayano slid up to him with a faint shadow of a smile on her lips. This was good news. If Ryuto gotten into this state- presumably over Pippi- it probably wasn't unrealistic to hope that he had forgotten about anything he may have learned about Senpai.

Caught briefly between dropping her suspicion altogether and letting it slide, or asking him outright what he knew at knifepoint, she decided on a middle ground. "Good morning, Ippongo-senpai," she greeted respectfully. "You're-?"

Before she could finish, the office door swung open. Genka's voice rang like a tolling bell as she called out. "Next, please."

Ryuto swallowed a brewing storm of sobs, gathered his books and his composure and slipped into the room. Ayano remained outside looking in. As he entered, another student edged past him. Her fiercely drilled pigtails fluttering like clipped wings as she moved.

 _Kokona?_

She must have said the word aloud, because the girl herself immediately turned, pivoting shakily on her heels, and faced her. Her face immediately lit up. "Oh! Aya-chan! It's good to see you again… uh, were you here about Pippi's disappearance?"

"Seems as though he was," suggested Ayano casually in response, nodding towards the office door.

Kokona blinked, momentarily bewildered, but then her expression cleared in understanding as she registered who had just gone inside. "Ryuto-san? Oh, definitely! I don't think he knew Midori very well, but I do know that he has a major crush on Pippi."

" _Does_ he now?" That was interesting.

"Yeah. Her disappearance must be freaking him out. Especially with Midori…" Kokona gulped. "d-dead… and knowing Pippi probably had to _see_ that…"

Ayano was no longer listening. A mad grin was starting to form unbidden on her lips, and she had to turn her head to hide it from Kokona. Smiling when talking about dead people was apparently indelicate. But this _was_ good news. There was no way Ryuto was going to think about spreading Senpai's secret even if he did know it, which he might not. He was far too hung up on Midori's death and the safety of Pippi. His crush. That was what he was busy worrying about. After all, Ayano knew that if anything ever happened that could compromise the safety of Senpai - _hell forbid -_ that would consume all her thoughts. She'd go insane over it. Well. Insaner. If Ryuto felt even a fraction of that grief about Pippi, then bitching about a trans kid was hardly going to be his priority at the moment.

In a way, she noted gleefully, she had orchestrated all this perfectly by braining Pippi. _Genius, Ayano. Simply genius-!_

A weak sniffle knocked her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see that Kokona had worked herself up into crying a small river of tears. Ayano blinked, taken aback. Unaccustomed to emotion as she was, she had never in all her years figured about how to deal with a weeping person. This was unknown territory for her. "There, there," she mumbled vaguely, after some moments. Then something occurred to her. "Did you know either of them? Osu or Gurin, I mean. Did you ever talk to them?"

"Huh?" The question seemed to confuse Kokona. "Oh, um… no. Not really. Why?"

Leaning closer, Ayano began to press further, her voice starting to take the tone of interrogation. "Then, do you know of anyone else close to them? Or anyone who they often spoke to?"

Brows worrying slightly, Kokona very carefully began to edge away. "I'm not sure… they were never really part of our group. Certainly weren't involved with the Sports Day- thank you again for saying you'd help with that- in fact, they hardly ever went outside the computer room in their spare time. Guess they liked to keep themselves to themselves that way… " As she trailed off, the colour in her face began to drain. "God, we're already talking about them in the past tense. We shouldn't. I mean, Pippi's still likely to be okay, right? Midori's death was a complete accident after all- it wasn't like someone came along and murdered her."

Ayano made no reply.

They drifted off into a pensive silence, and remained there like that for some minutes until Kokona suddenly slammed a fist into her palm. "Hold on- I just remembered! Sometimes they talked to Osana Najimi."

A pause. "Osana," repeated Ayano slowly. Always Osana. That sick feeling from yesterday bubbled back up inside her.

"Yeah, Osana," confirmed Kokona with a sigh. "It makes sense; Osana was never really one of us either. I- I mean, I'm sure she's a lovely girl and all, but sometimes, she can be so…"

"Standoffish?" supplied Ayano. "Rude? Cold? So damned tsundere she gets all the senpais and it sucks?"

"…Shy," concluded Kokona, blinking dubiously at her companion. "And I wouldn't exactly say she gets all the third year boys…" Resting her chin on her still fisted hand, she glanced away from Ayano and her soft mauve eyes glazed over. "Only Yamada-san…"

There was a note in Kokona's voice that Ayano had never heard before coming from her. She could recognise it though. It was, after all, one of the few emotions she knew- that she herself had been exposed to her life. Jealousy.

A wild idea sprang into her mind.

"Do you ever wish you could get Osana out of the picture?"

Those wide, innocent violet eyes of hers bulged. _"What are you-?"_

Genka's door swung back open, Ryuto scuttling silently out. Ayano leapt to her feet. Hastily swiping away the creases in her skirt and smoothing out her ponytail- a reflex she'd developed whenever startled by someone at school. A kind of last resort to try to cover up a loss of sanity and maintain a semblance of normality about herself. She turned to go, but not before locking eyes with Kokona.

"I can help you with your problem. Meet me on the rooftop at 3:30 and I'll tell you more. Bring no one."

Kokona began shivering, but was powerless to break the other girl's gaze. "Aya-c… _Ayano_ …"

"Think about it." And Ayano took off down the halls, running for the refuge of the classroom.

* * *

The lesson today was Physical Education.

Grateful for the chance to hone her already considerable strength, Ayano left the classroom with something of a smile playing across her face. She was convinced that she had done well today. Collecting her bento - she had learned from yesterday to always remember to equip herself with one - she followed the gabbling cluster of students heading up the stairs. All going to have their lunch on the rooftop.

When she got there, she sat down and cradled the bento box on her knees and pulled off the lid. As she ate, she picked the school newspaper up again and gave it a second read. Taking in all the trouble she'd caused. Admiring her handiwork. Koharu too was briefly mentioned, but as long as no one was becoming suspicious as well as scared then Ayano was content.

Then something made her stop stark still.

In big, bold, black print, at the very end of the article, was the following text:

 **Were all of these incidents truly accidental? Or could it be there was intent behind it?**

Ayano brought a hand to her mouth. Just posing that question was enough to plant misgiving in the minds of the other students. Putting her in danger.

 _Well_. That single line explained why some had been glancing about themselves like frightened mice all morning, quivering in the disquieting mist under the greying sky above, on the alert. If this went on then she could be caught. A fist of anger clenched around her heart.

She would have to make a phone call.

Bringing up Info-chan's name, scrolling past all the pop-ups that appeared on screen, she began furiously stabbing the screen with her fingers as she typed out the number. As it began to dial, her hand snapped up so that she was holding the phone to her ear. Teeth gritting, eyes narrowing as she waited.

 _"Hello."_ The voice was the same as it always was; soft, sneering, smooth as a smiling reptile. _"This is the Akademi High School Info Club. To whom am I-?"_

"You are such a _crappy_ journalist," spat Ayano into the phone. "I think you ought to change careers."

 _"Ah, Aishi-san._ _Always a pleasure."_ Info-chan, of course, didn't miss a beat. _"And, as a matter of fact, I have got something of a new job; running the Info Club has given me all_ kinds _of things to do now. Investigative journalism and producing school newspapers have become more like_ … _side-lines. Hobbies, if you will. Couldn't really get into it before anyway, since there used to be nothing of interest I could write articles about in this school. Guess I have you to thank for changing that."_

Ayano gritted her teeth and tried to inject her next words with as much venom as possible. "If you write _anything_ about any role I might have had in all this in your little article-"

 _"As if I'd let a client such as you go to waste,"_ purred Info-chan. _"Just wanted to spice things up a little. I'd never mention your name, of course. I will admit that little electrocution stunt yesterday was certainly_ _shocking…"_

"Seriously!?"

 _"Whatever Osu did to piss you off, the moment she did it she was screwed_ _…"_

"Shut up. Shut up now."

 _"…But_ _let's not talk about that. Let's talk about you. How are you doing with those panty shots? I did ask you about your due yesterday."_

That made her pause. She winced. She'd forgotten that conversation. "Before the end of today," she promised. "You'll be paid in full."

 _"Good."_ Silence fell on the other end of the line.

Becoming uncomfortable, Ayano decided to break it. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to write anything _else_ in your little newspapers."

 _"As I said, I have no intention of exposing your secrets. There would be no profit in that for me."_

Something clicked in Ayano's mind as Info-chan said that first part, and unconsciously she lowered her voice. "I'm starting to wonder if it's just me I ought to be worried about in that regard."

 _"What are you saying?"_

"How much do you know about Taro Yamada?"

Info-chan did not reply immediately. _"_ _…About your senpai?"_

"Who else?" As far as possible, Ayano tried to sound casual. "Anything you know about him?"

This had been something she'd not considered. Did Info-chan know about Senpai? And if so, could she be subject to blackmail if Info-chan threatened to make it public? If her ally found out just how much Ayano had to lose from such a thing, having made her promise to Senpai, then Ayano would effectively be at Info-chan's mercy. To stop that from happening, she had to find out just how much Info-chan already knew. Could be nothing. Could be everything.

 _"We've been through this,"_ the voice sighed in annoyance. _"Your Senpai is completely clean. No dark secrets whatsoever to speak of. Can I interest you instead in something else? A secret that could ruin your rivals?"_

Ayano released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, but at the risk of sounding vulnerable to Info-chan, quickly choked the sound into a growl down the phone. "I'm not buying it. Your offer or your bullshit. You have detailed information about everybody here. You said yourself that discovering someone's darkest secret is your speciality. You can't tell me, with all that, that you don't have any dirt on Senpai." She had to push Info-chan. Had to make absolutely sure.

 _"I'm afraid that's the truth of it, Aishi-san,"_ came the curt response. _"I don't have any particularly juicy information about Yamada. He has never purchased a panty shot from me or anything. If I knew any sort of secret about him that might interest you, I'd tell you. But I don't."_ Another pause. _"_ _…If you keep up the good work you're doing for me, then maybe I'll try to dig something up for you about your senpai-"_

"No," said Ayano at once, cutting Info-chan off. "No, that isn't necessary. Just wanted to make sure you weren't going to put anything in those newspapers about me. Forget I asked about Senpai. Talk to you later." She hung up.

So. Assuming her ally had not been lying, then not even the formidably knowledgeable Info-chan knew about Senpai. How intriguing. It was probably in her best interests to keep it that way, lest no one else find out. Hopefully, nobody already had.

And as for horrible-meanie-Kokona-says-she's-just-shy-but-whatever-Osana _…_ Ayano was confident that fairly soon, she too could be gotten rid of.

 _There's no way I'm trusting someone like Info-chan with you, Senpai. Or Osana. Or anybody else. If anyone here gets to protect you, it's going to be me._


End file.
